


You're a Star

by FeoplePeel



Series: Honey, I Love You [3]
Category: Big Bang Theory
Genre: AU, Childhood Friends, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-20
Updated: 2013-02-20
Packaged: 2017-11-29 22:24:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 747
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/692170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeoplePeel/pseuds/FeoplePeel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Penny is 17 and not so sure about this whole 'prom' business. As the owner of a shiny, new PhD, Sheldon has bigger things to worry about.</p><p>Takes place in the 'Honey, I Love You' verse, where Sheldon and Penny grew up together as close friends.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You're a Star

Penny had never hated her family.

When her mother told her that acting wasn't a real job and she would have to aim for something more realistic, like animal husbandry, she held her tongue. Her mother wasn't always right, but she wanted what was best for Penny.

When her father's job had moved them to Nebraska last year and Penny had to start making new friends in her senior year of high school, she couldn't be bothered to care. She was likable. She would miss Missy but if her e-mails and phone calls with Sheldon for the past four years of her life had taught her one thing, it's that she could do long distance friendships.

But looking at herself, in the full-length mirror, an ugly girl in a garish pink _thing_ looked back and she couldn't help but think they were a little bit to blame.

Her dad's job wasn't as secure, but they had more money in Texas.

And Missy was there.

She could take this dumb, ugly _thing_ and turn it into something beautiful.

 _She_ was probably wearing something beautiful to her senior prom, next week.

Penny knew she wasn't thinking rationally. So, she did what she always did, when this kind of mood struck her.

Slipping out of the dress and into some sweats, she sat in front of her computer to type.

_To: Sheldon_

_Subject: EMERGENCY!!! PROM TMROW!!!_

Penny admired the extra exclamation points, hoping they would show her friend just how important this was.

_i couldnt pick a dress so mom picked 1 for me :( its ugly and now i am sad._

If the exclamation points hadn't worked, that last line apparently had. She received a response almost immediately, her phone lighting up beside her. She left her computer to flop on the bed and opened the text.

_I saw your email notification. I am in a video conference with someone very important. I do not know when I will be finished._

Penny pouted. It took a lot for Sheldon to think someone was 'important', so she knew whoever it was _must_ be but, still, she felt jilted. She waited another minute before texting back.

_wut r u talking about?_

_A potential job. Now ssh._

Penny sat up, grumbling angrily. "I'm not your child, Sheldon. You don't shush me." She typed in a few sentences. "I'll shush you." Rereading her text, a full-on guilt-trip if she ever saw one, she sighed.

Guilt-trips never worked on Sheldon. Instead she wrote:

_is it gud? will it b near nebraska?_

_It is GOOD. And not in this case. I do not believe there are any facilities conducive to my research in Nebraska._

Penny knew there weren't. She had checked.

_o. i wish it was. i could use some best friend time lately. like 2nite :(_

It took a while for the next text to appear.

_What's wrong with tonight?_

_im sad :(_

_I gathered upon your first use of the frowning emoticon. This marks your second._

_my dress is ugly. i barely know my date. prom is stupid y do we have 2 go?_

_I've expressed that sentiment to you multiple times. In your words, it is a rite of passage. I still say you don't HAVE to go._

Penny attached the picture her mother had taken of her in the pink monster at the dress shop, earlier. She looked miserable.

_LOOK AT THIS. SO GROSS._

_What is the problem, exactly? It only looks bigger and brighter than your other dresses._

Penny had looked at the picture a dozen times since they left the dress shop and asked herself the same question. She thought it was perfectly fine when she tried it on. She was even a little happy to finally have one chosen. But every time she saw that picture, she just broke a little bit.

_it takes every ugly part of me and makes it bigger. brighter._

Penny wiped at her eyes, holding her phone to her chest and curling back into a ball on top of her blankets. A minute later, her chest buzzed.

_Stars are in no way 'ugly'._

Penny swallowed, smiling a little.

Tomorrow, she could count on Missy or Amanda, one of her newer friends, to tell her that prom was going to be a blast and that she was gorgeous and her dress was flawless. And all of those things would make her feel better. Tomorrow.

Tonight, Sheldon was the only person who could know just what to say.


End file.
